Pirassununga unites nature, science and culture in stories that span generations. Credit: EPTV Reproduction Between the waters of the Mogi Guaçu River, the forests that are home to hundreds of species and the stories that span generations, Pirassununga (SP) built an identity marked by the relationship between nature, science and culture. With 73,545 inhabitants, the municipality, which has fish as its symbol, currently has an economy based on services, industries, agribusiness and tourism. Furthermore, it became the setting for research on biodiversity and stories that were recorded in music and gained prominence on television. "Pirassununga is a very welcoming city. This welcome is in our DNA. A peaceful city to live in", says historian Roberto Bragagnolo. Emas Waterfall in Pirassununga. Credit: EPTV Reproduction The city that helped inspire Terra da Gente Before reaching its current development, the city's history was linked to the waters of the Mogi Guaçu River. It was in the Cachoeira de Emas region that a production about fish reproduction helped inspire the creation of the Terra da Gente program. In 1992, the program team followed the migration of fish during piracema and recorded the animals' behavior during a journey of more than 600 kilometers. The documentary became a reference in environmental journalism and helped bring the public closer to the biodiversity of Brazilian rivers. “To this day, everyone remembers with great affection that moment that portrayed our Pirassununga, Cachoeira de Emas, in short, our ecosystem”, says Bragagnolo. And the relationship between the city and the program did not end with the documentary, as over the years, Terra da Gente teams developed several programs. Together with researchers at the National Center for Research and Conservation of Continental Species (CEPA), located in Pirassununga, they traveled through the Amazon and the Pantanal, collecting fish genetic material. The center works to conserve continental aquatic biodiversity, paying particular attention to endangered fish species. According to environmental analyst Izabel Book de Garcia, the work carried out at the site contributes to the production of information used in public conservation policies throughout the country. Preservation area on the campus of the University of São Paulo (USP), in Pirassununga. Credit: Reproduction EPTV Biodiversity within USP The nature of Pirassununga is not restricted to the banks of the rivers. The University of São Paulo (USP) campus also functions as a refuge for fauna and flora. More than 30% of the campus area is made up of native forests and ecological preservation areas, bringing together eight lakes that attract different species of animals. "There's an area of ??forest, there's an area of ??bodies of water, so it ends up attracting many species. It's close to the city, but it's a very large area, so many animals end up coming here and end up living here", explains biologist Tamires Sardinha. All this biodiversity became the object of research with the participation of the community through the ‘Clique Silvestre’ project. The objective is to encourage visitors to photograph animals found on campus and share the records through the iNaturalist application. The initiative, according to biologist Maria Eduarda Pralon Guerra, works as a way of bringing the population closer to scientific production, as the images recorded by visitors can be used as data for research. The project has already recorded more than 3,500 records and identified 420 species on campus. Among the animals observed are birds, mammals, reptiles and invertebrates. There are records of otters, small anteaters and red brocket deer, as well as different species of birds. "Recently we saw an otter, which was really cool. We've already received records of lesser anteaters and red brocket deer. So there are several animals. Everything, mammals, birds, reptiles and invertebrates too", says Maria Eduarda. For Tamires, far beyond scientific possibilities, observing fauna is also a way of creating links with space. She says that she waited months to be able to register a bird on campus and only managed to do so thanks to a friend who informed her about the bird's appearance. "I came here, we managed to make a really cool record. It was a day when there were tuiuiú, there were spoonbills, there were dryheads (...) when I joined the group, I remember there were 30 people in the group. Today we are more than 400 observers", explains Tamires. Research project ‘Clique Silvestre’ from the University of São Paulo (USP) with the community of Pirassununga. Credit: EPTV Reproduction From nature to country music Pirassununga's relationship with nature also appears in culture. The waters of Cachoeira de Emas served as inspiration for the composer Nenête, one of the main names linked to country music. Valdemar Castelardi Franceschi was born in Santa Adélia and arrived in Pirassununga as a child, where he built his artistic career. According to Bragagnolo, Nenête composed and recorded more than 400 songs and played an important role in the appreciation of roots music. The duo Nenête and Dorinho gained prominence between the 1950s and 1970s. At a certain point, the musicians began to perform with an accordion player and became known as the golden trio of Brazilian radio. "Nenête was a great singer and composer here in our city, in Pirassununga. Since I was young, I was a big fan of Nenête, I always tried to sing Nenête and Dorinho's repertoire", remembers singer Osvaldo Hipóllito. LP by the duo Nenete and Dorinho. Credit: EPTV Reproduction His career was not just restricted to compositions, but he also served as director and artistic producer of the RCA Victor record label. Nenête worked with artists who would become nationally known. "He was one of the directors of RCA Victor, which was a multinational, it was the main record company at the time, here in the country. He became director, producer